Could Kirk Cousins get in the way of a Justin Fields trade to Falcons? originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
“The buzz around the combine” is Kirk Cousins is reportedly the No. 1 choice for the Falcons this offseason, according to a report from Zach Klein.
Cousins, 35, is arguably the top free-agent quarterback this offseason. He tore his Achilles last season, as he only played eight games in 2023. But after a Pro Bowl 2022 season, no one is doubting his abilities to sling the rock just yet.
Along with Cousins, Baker Mayfield and Russell Wilson are projected as the other top quarterback free agents. They will have the chance to sign starting March 13, when the new league year begins and free agency opens.
So, where does Justin Fields fit into all of this?
The Bears are in the midst of a potential quarterback shift. They own the No. 1 pick in the draft, and in turn, have the rights to draft one of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, etc. They must decide if they’d rather start fresh with a new quarterback, or continue to roll with Fields, as they did last season when they traded the No. 1 pick to the Panthers.
A league source told NBC Sports Chicago’s Josh Schrock that the Falcons have checked in with the Bears about Fields. It’s unclear how far those conversations went but there’s reason to expect them to pick back up this week in Indianapolis.
Fields is a Georgia native and the Falcons have alluded to their interest in him since the NFL combine began.
“You want to go get the best fit for your people, you want to get the best fit for your coaches, you want to go get the best fit for our city, and you want to do all those things,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris told CBS Sports at the NFL Scouting Combine about Atlanta’s QB search. “There’s nothing ruled out. I forgot to mention trades, because all of those things come into play. We’ve really been tedious, we’ve really been going through the process of how we are going to acquire the best fit for us.”
Morris knew his comments would turn heads, yet he doubled down on the Falcons’ importance to gain a leader for the team and the city.
“People are going to read into those words or whatever – however they do those things,” Morris said. “There are people that are from Atlanta. There are people from around Atlanta. You can name the milage of how close some of those people are. You got to do what’s best and what’s right for your team at the right time. We won’t rule out anything until we have to make those decisions at that date.”
For what it’s worth, the odds for the Falcons to land Fields are heavily in their favor. They’ve jumped twice in the past week from being unfavored to -300 to now -425.
Can Poles convince Terry Fontenot to cough up some draft picks for Fields? Or will the Bears even opt to go that route with Fields? Stay tuned.
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